1968-69 NHL season
The 1968-69 NHL season was the 52nd season of the National Hockey League. Twelve teams each played 76 games (two more than in 1967-68). For the second time in a row, the Montreal Canadiens faced the St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup finals. Montreal won for their second Stanley Cup in a row as they swept the Blues in four, which was the exact same result of the previous season. Regular season Prior to this season no player had ever achieved 100 points in a season. This season saw not just one player reach 100, but three. The Boston Bruins' Phil Esposito led the way with 49 goals, 77 assists for an astounding new record of 126 points. Bobby Hull of Chicago set a new record for goals with 58 and came in second in overall scoring with 107. Forty-one year old Gordie Howe came in third with 103 points. Red Berenson of St. Louis tied an NHL record, scoring six goals for the Blues in an 8-0 conquest of the Philadelphia Flyers November 7th. Doug Favell was the victim of the goals. Despite finishing last in the West Division, Minnesota came up with a fine rookie left wing in Danny Grant, who tied Nels Stewart's record for most goals by a rookie with 34. Norm Ferguson of Oakland also tied the mark with 34. On December 21st, with Gump Worsley out because of a nervous breakdown and Rogie Vachon out with a broken hand, rookie goaltender Tony Esposito of the Canadiens and Gerry Cheevers of the Bruins hooked up in a classic scoreless tie. Esposito made 41 saves, many of the stellar variety, against Johnny McKenzie, Fred Stanfield, Ron Murphy and big brother Phil. Cheevers made 34 saves, including breakaways by Henri Richard and Bobby Rousseau, and a labeled backhand by Jean Beliveau on a three on one break. Los Angeles introduced a fine rookie goaltender named Gerry Desjardins who did a fine job for the ailing Wayne Rutledge, who was bothered by a groin injuries most of the season. Desjardins recorded 4 shutouts during the season in helping the Kings make the playoffs and win their first round series over Oakland. On March 2nd, Phil Esposito became the first NHL player to score 100 points in a season in a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. In March 20th's Boston-Chicago game, two milestones were accomplished. Bobby Hull broke his own record for goals with his 55th goal, and Bobby Orr broke Flash Hollett's record for goals by a defenceman with his 21rst goal. The game ended in a 5-5 tie. Final standings Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold Scoring leaders Note: GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, PTS = Points, PIM = Penalties in minutes Leading goaltenders Stanley Cup playoffs Playoff bracket NHL awards All-Star teams Debuts The following is a list of players of note who played their first NHL game in 1968-69 (listed with their first team, asterisk(*) marks debut in playoffs): *Bob Berry, Montreal Canadiens *Guy Lapointe, Montreal Canadiens *Jude Drouin, Montreal Canadiens *Tony Esposito, Montreal Canadiens *Brad Park, New York Rangers *Pat Quinn, Toronto Maple Leafs *Jean Pronovost, Pittsburgh Penguins Last games The following is a list of players of note that played their last game in the NHL in 1968-69 (listed with their last team): *Kenny Wharram, Chicago Blackhawks *Kent Douglas, Detroit Red Wings *Gilles Tremblay, Montreal Canadiens *Allan Stanley, Philadelphia Flyers *Billy Harris, Pittsburgh Penguins *Doug Harvey, St. Louis Blues *Pierre Pilote, Toronto Maple Leafs See also * List of Stanley Cup champions * 1968 NHL Amateur Draft * 22nd National Hockey League All-Star Game * National Hockey League All-Star Game References *Hockey Database *NHL.com *hickoksports.com